And moreover in time past, even when Saul was king, thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel: and the LORD thy God said unto thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be ruler over my people Israel.

So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and David made a covenant (solemn agreement) with them there before the Lord; and they anointed him king over Israel, in accordance with the word of the Lord through Samuel.

And David goeth, and all Israel, to Jerusalem -- it is Jebus -- and there the Jebusite, the inhabitants of the land.

And the inhabitants of Jebus say to David, 'Thou dost not come in hither;' and David captureth the fortress of Zion -- it is the city of David.

And David will say, Every one striking the Jebusites the first shall be for head and for chief. And Joab son of Zeruiah, will go up at first, and he will be for head.

And David dwelt in the castle; therefore they called it the city of David.

He built up the city around it, from the terrace to the surrounding walls; Joab restored the rest of the city.

Thus did David wax greater and yet greater, - and, Yahweh of Hosts, was with him.

And this is the number of the mighty men whom David had; Jashobeam, an Hachmonite, the chief of the captains: he lifted up his spear against three hundred slain by him at one time.

He was with David at Pasdammim, and there the Philistines were gathered together to battle, where was a parcel of ground full of barley; and the people fled from before the Philistines.

And they set themselves in the midst of that parcel, and delivered it, and slew the Philistines; and the LORD saved them by a great deliverance.

And three of the thirty chiefs went down toward the rock to David at the cave of Adullam when the army of the Philistines was encamped in the valley of Rephaim.

And David was then in the hold, and the Philistines' garrison was then at Bethlehem.

And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, that is at the gate!

And the three brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: but David would not drink of it, but poured it out to the LORD,

And said, My God forbid it me, that I should do this thing: shall I drink the blood of these men that have put their lives in jeopardy? for with the jeopardy of their lives they brought it. Therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mightiest.

Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man, great in exploits, of Kabzeel: he it was that smote two lions of Moab; and he went down and smote a lion in the midst of a pit on a snowy day.

And he slew an Egyptian, a man of great stature, five cubits high; and in the Egyptian's hand was a spear like a weaver's beam; and he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and slew him with his own spear.

And these were the best men of war of the Host: Asahel the brother of Joab and Elhanan the son of Dodo out of Bethlehem.

Ittai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin, Benaiah the Pirathonite,

Now these are they that came to David to Ziklag, while he yet kept himself close because of Saul the son of Kish: and they were among the mighty men, helpers of the war.

They were armed with bows, and could use both the right hand and the left in hurling stones and shooting arrows out of a bow, even of Saul's brethren of Benjamin.

And from the Gadites, valiant mighty warriors, {soldiers fit for war}, expert with shield and spear, defected to David at the fortress toward the wilderness. And {they had faces like lions} [and were] swift as gazelles upon the mountains.

Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh,

These are they that went over Jordan in the first month, when it had overflown all his banks; and they put to flight all them of the valleys, both toward the east, and toward the west.

Other Benjaminites and men from Judah also went to David at the stronghold.

And David went out to meet them, and answered and said unto them, If ye be come peaceably unto me to help me, mine heart shall be knit unto you: but if ye be come to betray me to mine enemies, seeing there is no wrong in mine hands, the God of our fathers look thereon, and rebuke it.

And there fell some of Manasseh to David, when he came with the Philistines against Saul to battle: but they helped them not; for the lords of the Philistines upon deliberation sent him away, saying, He will fall to his master Saul at the peril of our heads.

For at that time day by day there came to David to help him, until it was a great host, like the host of God.

These are the numbers of the [armed] units equipped for war who came to David at Hebron to turn [over] the kingdom of Saul to him, in accordance with the word of the Lord.

The children of Judah that bare shield and spear were six thousand and eight hundred, ready armed to the war.

The tribe of Benjamin, relatives of Saul numbered 3,000, of whom most had remained allied to what remained of Saul's dynasty.

And of the children of Ephraim twenty thousand and eight hundred, mighty men of valour, famous throughout the house of their fathers.

And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment.

Of Zebulun, such as were able to go out in the host, that could set the battle in array, with all manner of instruments of war, fifty thousand, and that could order the battle array, and were not of double heart.

And of the Danites expert in war twenty and eight thousand and six hundred.

And of Asher, such as were able to go out in the host, that could set the battle in array, forty thousand.

All these warriors arrived in battle order at Hebron, fully intending to establish David as king over all Israel. Furthermore, all of the rest of Israel were united in their intent to make David king.

For three days they were there with David, feasting at his table, for their brothers had made ready food for them.

And David said unto all the congregation of Israel, If it seem good unto you, and that it be of the LORD our God, let us send abroad unto our brethren every where, that are left in all the land of Israel, and with them also to the priests and Levites which are in their cities and suburbs, that they may gather themselves unto us:

And let us bring again the ark of our God to us: for we inquired not at it in the days of Saul.

Since the proposal seemed right to all the people, the whole assembly agreed to do it.

And David went up, and all Israel, to Baalah, that is, to Kirjathjearim, which belonged to Judah, to bring up thence the ark of God the LORD, that dwelleth between the cherubims, whose name is called on it.

And they carried the ark of God in a new cart out of the house of Abinadab: and Uzza and Ahio drave the cart.

When they came to the threshing floor of Chidon, Uzza put out his hand to hold and steady the ark, for the oxen [that were drawing the cart] nearly overturned it.

Then the Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah, and He struck him dead because he had reached out to the ark. So he died there in the presence of God.

And it is displeasing to David, because Jehovah hath made a breach upon Uzza, and one calleth that place 'Breach of Uzza' unto this day.

So David brought not the ark home to himself to the city of David, but carried it aside into the house of Obededom the Gittite.

So the Ark of God remained in the care of Obed-edom's household for three months, and God blessed Obed-edom's household, along with everyone associated with it.

And Huram king of Tyre sendeth messengers unto David, and cedar-wood, and artificers of walls, and artificers of wood, to build to him a house.

And David took more wives at Jerusalem: and David begat more sons and daughters.

And these are the names of his children, which he had born him at Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon;

And when the Philistines heard that David was anointed king over all Israel, all the Philistines went up to seek David. And David heard of it, and went out against them.

Now the Philistines came and carried out a raid in the Valley of Rephaim.

So David asked God, "Am I to go out against the Philistines? Will you give me victory over them?" "Go out," the LORD replied to him, "and I'll put them right into your hand."

And he went up to Baal-Perazim, and David struck them there. And David said, "God has burst out against my enemies by my hand like waters burst out." Therefore they will call the name of this place Baal-Perazim.

And the Philistines did not take their images with them in their flight; and at David's orders they were burned with fire.

And the Philistines yet again spread themselves abroad in the valley.

When David asked God about it, God told him, "Don't directly attack them. Instead, go around them and come up against them opposite those balsam trees.

And it shall be, when thou shalt hear a sound of going in the tops of the mulberry trees, that then thou shalt go out to battle: for God is gone forth before thee to smite the host of the Philistines.

And the fame of David went out into all lands; and the LORD brought the fear of him upon all nations.

And David made him houses in the city of David, and prepared a place for the ark of God, and pitched for it a tent.

Then David said, The ark of God may not be moved by any but the Levites, for they have been marked out by God to take the ark of God, and to do his work for ever.

And David gathered all Israel together to Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the LORD unto his place, which he had prepared for it.

And said unto them, Ye are the chief of the fathers of the Levites: sanctify yourselves, both ye and your brethren, that ye may bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel unto the place that I have prepared for it.

For because ye did it not at the first, the LORD our God made a breach upon us, for that we sought him not after the due order.

And the sons of the Levites carried the ark of God according to what Moses commanded, according to the word of Yahweh, on their shoulders with the carrying poles upon them.

And David spake to the chiefs of the Levites, to station their brethren the singers, with instruments of song, harps and lyres, and cymbals, - sounding aloud at the lifting up of the voice, for joy.

and Mattithiah, and Eliphelehu, and Mikneiah, and Obed-Edom, and Jeiel, and Azaziah, with harps tuned to the eight-stringed lyre, to lead.

Chenaniah, music leader for the descendants of Levi, served as music director, because he was expert at it.

So David, and the elders of Israel, and the captains over thousands, went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the house of Obededom with joy.

And it came to pass, when God helped the Levites that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, that they offered seven bullocks and seven rams.

Now, David, was wrapped about with a robe of byssus, with all the Levites who were bearing the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah the leader of the service rendered by the singers, - but, upon David, was an ephod of white linen.

And it came to pass, as the ark of the covenant of the LORD came to the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looking out at a window saw king David dancing and playing: and she despised him in her heart.

So they brought the ark of God, and set it in the midst of the tent that David had pitched for it: and they offered burnt sacrifices and peace offerings before God.

He then handed out to each Israelite man and woman a loaf of bread, a date cake, and a raisin cake.

On that day then hath David given at the beginning to give thanks to Jehovah by the hand of Asaph and his brethren: --

Give thanks to the LORD, calling on his name. Make what he has done known among the people.

Search out Yahweh, and his power, Seek diligently his face, at all times.

He is the Lord our God; he carries out judgment throughout the earth.

Which he cut out with Abraham, and his oath to Isaak.

And he confirmed it unto Jacob for a statute, Unto Israel for an everlasting covenant,

When ye were but few, even a few, and strangers in it.

Fear before him, all the earth: the world also shall be stable, that it be not moved.

Also, established is the world, It is not moved! The heavens rejoice, and the earth is glad, And they say among nations: Jehovah hath reigned.

Roar doth the sea, and its fulness, Exult doth the field, and all that is in it,

Then shall the trees of the wood sing out at the presence of the LORD, because he cometh to judge the earth.

Call out, "Save us, God, you who delivers us! Gather us and rescue us from the nations! We will thank your holy name and rejoice as we praise you!

Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, for ever and for ever. And all the people said, So be it; and gave praise to the Lord.

So he made Asaph and his brothers keep their places there before the ark of the agreement of the Lord, to do whatever had to be done before the ark at all times day by day:

And Obededom with their brethren, threescore and eight; Obededom also the son of Jeduthun and Hosah to be porters:

And Zadok the priest, and his brethren the priests, before the tabernacle of the LORD in the high place that was at Gibeon,

To give burned offerings to the Lord on the altar of burned offerings morning and evening, every day, as it is ordered in the law of the Lord which he gave to Israel;

And with them Heman and Jeduthun, and the rest who were marked out by name to give praise to the Lord, for his mercy is unchanging for ever;

and with them Heman and Jeduthun with trumpets and cymbals for those that should sound aloud, and with instruments for the songs of God; and the sons of Jeduthun to be at the gate.

Now it came to pass, as David sat in his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, Lo, I dwell in an house of cedars, but the ark of the covenant of the LORD remaineth under curtains.

And it came to pass the same night, that the word of God came to Nathan, saying,

“Go to David My servant and say, ‘This is what the Lord says: You are not the one to build Me a house to dwell in.

for I have not lived in a house from the day that I brought out Israel unto this day. I have been from tent to tent and from tabernacle [to tabernacle].

“Now this is what you will say to My servant David: ‘This is what the Lord of Hosts says: I took you from the pasture and from following the sheep to be ruler over My people Israel.